New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Dueptbus14’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Impatiens  plant named ‘Dueptbus14’ characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; freely branching habit; vigorous growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely and early flowering habit; large bright red and red purple bi-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Impatiens hawkeri.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEPTBUS14’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueptbus14’.

The new Impatiens plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new vigorous and uniform New Guinea Impatiens plants with large attractive flowers.

The new Impatiens plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2008 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number F-16-14, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number F-16-002, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Impatiens plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Impatiens plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Impatiens have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylight and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dueptbus14’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dueptbus14’ as a new and distinct Impatiens plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Freely and early flowering habit.     -   6. Large bright red and red purple bi-colored flowers.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have orange-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Impatiens are more vigorous than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower color as plants of the male parent selection have lavender-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Impatiens are more freely branching than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of Impatiens hawkeri ‘Kimpgua’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,429. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed primarily from plants of ‘Kimpgua’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more compact than plants of         ‘Kimpgua’.     -   2. Plants of the new Impatiens had longer leaves than plants of         ‘Kimpgua’.     -   3. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of         ‘Kimpgua’.     -   4. Plants of the new Impatiens and ‘Kimpgua’ differed in flower         color as plants of ‘Kimpgua’ had purple and pink bi-colored         flowers.     -   5. Plants of the new Impatiens had shorter peduncles than plants         of ‘Kimpgua’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Impatiens plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Impatiens plant.

The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dueptbus14’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 10.5-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial New Guinea Impatiens production. During the production of the plants, night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time three weeks after planting and were 16 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri ‘Dueptbus14’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens             hawkeri identified as code number F-16-14, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Impatiens             hawkeri identified as code number F-16-002, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright to outwardly spreading and             mounding plant habit; freely branching habit with about 18             lateral branches developing per plant; vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 23.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 58 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 16.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 7 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Close to 144C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite or in whorls; simple.         -   Length.—About 8.4 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Apiculate.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Serrulate with ciliation.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 59A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,             close to 59B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to             60A; venation, close to 60A.         -   Petiole length.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2.6 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery.         -   Petiole color, upper surface.—Close to 58B.         -   Petiole color, lower surface.—Close to 60A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single rounded and flat             axillary flowers; freely flowering habit, typically about             five open flowers and flower buds per lateral branch;             flowers positioned above and beyond the foliar plane,             flowers typically face mostly upright to outwardly.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers typically last about one to two             days on the plant under greenhouse conditions; petals             self-cleaning, gynoecium persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse             conditions; in the garden, flowering from spring until fall             in Germany; early flowering habit, plants typically begin             flowering about eight weeks after planting.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 cm.             Shape: Ovate. Color: Close to 53A.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6.9 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five per flower in a             single whorl. Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 3.6 cm.             Shape: Obcordate. Apex: Cordate; rounded. Base: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; satiny. Color: When opening and fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 66B and 45B; red color becoming             closer to 45C with development. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 43A; color does not change             with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Three in a single whorl;             one modified into an elongated spur. Length: About 1.9 cm.             Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Apiculate. Base:             Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             34B to 34C. Spur length: About 4.5 cm. Spur diameter: At the             flower, about 3 mm; towards the apex, about 1 mm. Spur             texture: Smooth, glabrous. Spur color: Close to 45B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to             3 mm. Angle: Upright to outward. Strength: Moderately             strong; flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five fused at             anthers; filaments free. Filament length: About 2 mm.             Filament color: Close to 1D. Anther length: About 5 mm.             Anther shape: Oval. Anther color: Close to 57B. Pollen             amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 4D. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma             shape: Crested. Stigma color: Close to 59A. Style length:             About 2 mm. Style color: Close to 59C. Ovary color: Close to             149C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Impatiens. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Impatiens     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Impatiens have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate temperatures ranging     from about 5° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Impatiens plant named ‘Dueptbus14’ as illustrated and described. 